The Last Hope Organisation is committed to running several funds that incorporate its missions and implement its projects. These funds focus on improving the lives of the children that receive support on a per-project/ongoing-basis. These funds are discussed
on the pages that follow.
The Last Hope Organisation has its initial roots set in taking children from disadvantaged backgrounds on educational excursions and day-trips/outings to various South African landmarks and other places of interest. Each excursion, whilst filled with fun and entertainment, was primarily to educate the children, a primary factor in young, growing minds.Not long after beginning operations, we identified the need to cater for these children in other various ways.
Having realised the state of child malnutrition in the country, we started a new project with the primary goal of providing children’s orphanage homes non-perishable foods and other groceries. Known as the Food Fund, this project continues throughout each year, and consignments are made as the sufficient funds are made available.
We then began a new project, called the Uniform Fund, which seeks to provide school uniforms to these kids on a seasonal basis. In South Africa, a school uniform is required in order to attend most schools – even the lesser-funded ones. Uniforms instil a sense of discipline and pride within a school.
Around that time, we also introduced the Christmas Fund, where we treat the children to a Christmas party at either a selected venue, or at their own home. The children are given a full meal, along with their gifts from Santa (or as otherwise applicable, depending on the age group of the children).
Then, in 2012, having looked at the state of education in communities and schools, we introduced the Active Education Fund. Its initial purpose was to provide quality learning materials to children who needed them the most. Included in most provisions are text-books and accompanying activity books, novels, education-centric magazines, and more.
We then decided to start something that would boost education in children’s homes, and even communities. Most children’s homes are not equipped with some sort of learning centre, where children have access to a broad array of knowledge. As such, we decided to draft plans to construct Active Media Centres (AMCs) for the ones in our local community that do not have them. Each centre would be equipped with the already-mentioned learning materials, plus at least three computers connected to the internet, and with pre-installed education-centric software and games.
According to UNICEF, malnutrition is the root cause of death in sixty-four percent of South African children under the age of five. “One in five children is stunted and many are deficient in the vitamins and minerals vital to good health and optimal development.”In addition, it has been shown that nearly 50% of the world’s children are in some kind of poverty, be it a lack of food, a roof over their head, or a parent to bring them up and teach them important life lessons. Sixty per cent of children in South Africa have this problem too.